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Monroe, Louisiana

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Template:Geobox

Washington Plaza in downtown Monroe
Monroe City Hall
Monroe Convention Hall across from City Hall
St. Matthews Catholic Church in downtown Monroe
First Baptist Church in downtown Monroe
Frank "Buddy" Flowers Chapel at Louisiana Baptist Children's Home orphanage in Monroe

Monroe (historically French: Poste-du-Ouachita[1]) is a city in and the parish seat of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 53,107, making it the eighth largest city in Louisiana. A July 1, 2007, United States Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 54,208.[2] It is the principal city of the Monroe Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes the parishes of Ouachita and Union. The two-parish area had a total population of 170,053 in 2000 and an estimated population of 172,275 as of July 1, 2007.[3] The larger Monroe-Bastrop Combined Statistical Area is composed of both the Monroe Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Bastrop Micropolitan Statistical Area. The CSA had a population of 201,074 in 2000.

Monroe and the neighboring city of West Monroe (pop. 13,250), which sits just across the Ouachita River, are often referred to as the Twin Cities of northeast Louisiana.

History

Monroe is named for James Monroe of Virginia, the fifth President of the United States and, with Robert R. Livingston, one of the negotiators of the 1803 Louisiana Purchase from France.

During the American Civil War, Monroe and Opelousas, the seat of St. Landry Parish in south Louisiana, were Confederate training camps established after the fall of New Orleans to the Union in 1862. Conscripts were soon sent to both camps.[4]

In 1862, Monroe and Delhi in Richland Parish were both overcrowded with unwelcome refugees from rural areas to the east when the forces of General U.S. Grant moved into northeastern Louisiana and spent the winter of 1862-1863 at Winter Quarters south of Newellton in Tensas Parish in preparation for the siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi, not completed until July 4, 1863. Historian John D. Winters reported "strong Union sympathy" in both Delhi and Monroe. As the refugees moved further west toward Minden in Webster Parish, many of the native inhabitants, themselves very poor, refused to sell them food or shelter and treated them with contempt.[5]

Union boats came up the Ouachita River to Monroe to trade coffee, liquor, dry goods, and money for cotton. Winters writes in The Civil War in Louisiana that "Confederate officers were accused by a citizen of encouraginjg the trade and of fraterniing with the enemy, eating their oysters, and drinking their liquor."[6] As the war continued, Winters reported that deserters and stragglers about Monroe became "so plentiful that a special detachment" was sent from Alexandria to apprehend them.[7]

Geography

Monroe is located at 32°30′37″N 92°05′42″W / 32.51028°N 92.09500°W / 32.51028; -92.09500Invalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (32.510343, -92.094895)Template:GR and has an elevation of 72 feet (21.9 m)Template:GR.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 31.6 square miles (83.9 km²), of which, 28.7 square miles (74.3 km²) of it is land and 3.7 square miles (9.6 km²) of it is water. The total area is 11.46% water.

Demographics

Francis Towers Apartments, a former hotel, in downtown Monroe

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 53,107 people, 19,421 households, and 12,157 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,851.8 people per square mile (714.9/km²). There were 21,278 housing units at an average density of 741.9/sq mi (286.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 36.78% White, 61.13% African American, 0.13% Native American, 1.05% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.25% from other races, and 0.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.01% of the population.

There were 19,421 households out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.4% were married couples living together, 25.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.4% were non-families. 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54, and the average family size was 3.26.

In the city, the population was spread out with 29.7% under the age of 18, 15.0% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 17.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $25,864, and the median income for a family was $33,263. Males had a median income of $31,840 versus $22,352 for females. The per capita income for the city is $15,933. About 26.3% of families and 32.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 45.3% of those under the age of 18 and 21.6% of those 65 and older.

Transportation

Monroe was the headquarters of Delta Airlines during the second half of the 1920s.Monroe Regional Airport serves the city. The airport has three main runways and is served by Delta, American, and Continental airlines.

Greyhound Bus Lines provides transportation from Monroe to many cities across the nation. The city of Monroe also has the oldest municipally owned transit system in the nation. Created in 1906 as a four line street railroad, the Monroe Transit System (mtsbus.org) is the now provides 13 fixed bus routes covering most areas of the city and 3 demand response buses serving the disabled.

Monroe can be accessed from I-20, U.S. Highway 165, L.A. Highway 15, U.S. Highway 80,and I-420 (proposed).

Monroe has two main railroads Kansas City Southern Railway that runs from east to west and Union Pacific that runs from North to South. Other railroads include:

Entertainment

The Monroe Civic Center, which has multiple complexes. The main complex is the Civic center Arena. This arena provides 44,000 square feet (4,100 m2) of exhibit space along with 5,600 seats. The arena may have larger capacities up to 7,200 seats. The arena houses events such as banquets, circuses, and rodeos. The civic center also has the B.D. Robinson conference hall, Monroe Convention Center, equestrian pavilion, and the W.L. "Jack" Howard Theatre.

Monroe features the Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo, which collectively maintains over 500 animals. The zoo also offers boat rides and a catwalk in addition to other seasonal activities.

The Monroe area is home to several museums, including the Northeast Louisiana Children's Museum, The Biedenharn Museum and Gardens, Aviation Military Museum, the Masur Museum of Arts, and the Northeast Louisiana Delta African-American Heritage Museum.

Monroe is home to the Louisiana Motor Speedway, located near Interstate 20, and Twin City Dragway.

Monroe hosts Deltafest.

Golf

Shopping

National Guard

Monroe is home to the 528th Engineer Battalion of the Louisiana Army National Guard. This unit is part of the 225th Engineer Brigade which is headquartered in Pineville, Louisiana at Camp Beauregard.

Neighborhoods

Southern Monroe (south of U.S. Highway 80) This area contains the Pecanland Mall and the Louisiana Purchase Gardens & Zoo.

  • Burg Jones Lane
  • Parkview
  • Robinson Place
  • Richwood
  • Pine Bayou
  • Lamyville
  • Renwick's Addition
  • Oregon Trail
  • West Parkview
  • Oak Manor
  • Bryant's Addition
  • Grayling Bend
  • Tanglewood
  • Charmingdale
  • New Town
  • Atkinson Quarters
  • King Oaks
  • Hollywood Heights
  • Lincoln Park

North and East Monroe (north of U.S. Highway 80) The University of Louisiana at Monroe and the headquarters for CenturyLink can be found in this area.

  • Betin Heights
  • Oakmont
  • Westminister
  • Garden District
  • Marie Place Addition
  • Sholar's Addition
  • Pargoud Place
  • Plantation Park
  • Point Place
  • Westwood
  • Forsythe Park
  • Brierfield
  • River Oaks
  • Town & Country
  • Northside Terrace
  • Cypress Point
  • Lakeshore
  • Bayou Oaks
  • Parkview Heights Subdivision
  • North Pointe Plantation
  • Booker T
  • Treasure Island
  • Northgate Estates
  • Village North
  • Pecan Bayou
This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

Schools

The City of Monroe has its own department of education that is set off from the larger Ouachita Parish School System. It is known as the Monroe City School System. The department consists of three high schools, three junior high schools, and 13 elementary schools.

Elementary 

1) Lexington Elementary
2) Berg Jones Elementary
3) Carver Elementary
4) Clara Hall Elementary
5) J.S. Clark Magnet School
6) Cypress Point Elementary
7) Jefferson Upper Elementary
8) Lincoln Elementary
9) Minnie Ruffin Elementary
10) Madison James Foster Elementary
11) Barkdull Faulk Elementary
12) Sallie Humble Elementary
13) Swayze Elementary

Junior High 

1) Robert E. Lee Junior High (Lee)
2) Carroll Junior High
3) Martin Luther King Junior High (MLK)

High School 

1) Neville High School
2) Carroll High School

3) Wossman High School


Click to see the MCS website --> [1]

Media

Monroe is served by a Gannett newspaper, the Monroe News Star, formerly an afternoon daily owned and operated by the late father-son team of publishers, Robert Wilson Ewing, I, and John D. Ewing of New Orleans and Shreveport, respectively. When the Ewing's Monroe Morning World ceased publication, the sister publication, the News Star, became the city's morning-only newspaper. The News Star can be found online at http://www.thenewsstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage. Among the staff members of the News Star is political reporter Greg Hilburn, son of Wiley W. Hilburn, head of the Journalism Department at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston and himself a former World-News Star reporter.

Monroe is also served by two African-American weekly newspapers: The Monroe Free Press and the Monroe Dispatch. The Free Press was founded in 1969 by Roosevelt Wright, Jr.; its web presence began in 1996 and is located at http://monroefreepress.com. The Dispatch was founded in 1975 by Irma and Frank Detiege.

The Ouachita Citizen, based in West Monroe, is a weekly newspaper that provides all-local coverage of events in Ouachita Parish, including Monroe, West Monroe, Sterlington and Richwood. Locally owned, the newspaper has been in operation since 1924. The Ouachita Citizen can be found online at www.ouachitacitizen.com. It was purchased in 1996 by the late Sam Hanna, Sr., and his son, Sam Hanna, Jr., who remains the publisher.

Television

Radio

Emegencey Alert Sataions:

Notable people

Sports

Musicians

  • Antidonnie—Singer, songwriter
  • Gabe Cardinale—Singer, songwriter of Dead Twins, former bassist for Kingdom of Snakes, frontman of Maroon.
  • Hamid Drake -- Jazz drummer and percussionist
  • Carl Fontana -- Jazz trombonist
  • Kevin Griffin-- Lead Singer of Better Than Ezra
  • Andy Griggs -- Country music singer
  • Billy Ledbetter—Singer-songwriter; his "Stealing Hubcaps" was a hit single in the 1960s. He was voted top lounge entertainer in Las Vegas for five consecutive years.
  • Frank Ticheli -- Internationally known composer, conductor, Professor of Music, University of Southern California I
  • Leon "Pee Wee" Whittaker -- African American trombonist who played with the Rabbit's Foot Minstrels from Monroe between 1935 and 1950
  • William Lon Wilson---Singer, songwriter, drummer----wrote numerous top 10 country songs, consistently voted top studio drummer in Nashville
  • The Vidrines

Politicians

Businesspeople

  • Grady A. Dugas (1923–2007), inventor of the "Safer Automatic Wheelchair Wheel Locks"
  • Collett E. Woolman, one of the original directors of Delta Air Service. The founders were Collett Woolman, C.H. McHenry, Travis Oliver, and M.S. Biedenharn.

Actors/Entertainment

Activists

Writers

References

  1. ^ http://www.thecajuns.com/oldnew.htm
  2. ^ "Table 4: Annual Estimates of the Population for Incorporated Places in Louisiana, Listed Alphabetically: April 1, 2000, to July 1, 2007" (CSV). 2007 Population Estimates. United States Census Bureau, Population Division. 2008-07-10. Retrieved 2008-10-03.
  3. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2007 (CBSA-EST2007-01)" (CSV). 2007 Population Estimates. United States Census Bureau, Population Division. 2008-03-27. Retrieved 2008-10-03.
  4. ^ John D. Winters, The Civil War in Louisiana, Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1963, ISBN 0-8071-0834-0, p. 149
  5. ^ Winters, pp. 307-308
  6. ^ Winters, p. 406
  7. ^ Winters, p. 416
  8. ^ Oakland Athletics (2010). "Ben Sheets Stats, Bio, Photos, Highlights". MLB Advanced Media, L.P. Retrieved 2010-07-12. {{cite web}}: Text "oaklandathletics.com: Team" ignored (help)
  9. ^ PGA TOUR, Inc. (2010). "PGATOUR.com - Brian Bateman's Official Profile". Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved 2010-07-12.
  10. ^ Sports Reference LLC (2010). "Benoit Benjamin NBA & ABA Statistics". Retrieved 2010-07-12. {{cite web}}: Text "Basketball-Reference.com" ignored (help)
  11. ^ NFL Enterprises LLC (2010). "Bubby Brister". Retrieved 2010-07-12.
  12. ^ NFL Enterprises LLC (2010). "Billy Joe DuPree". Retrieved 2010-07-12.
  13. ^ Sports Reference LLC (2010). "Lenny Fant Coaching Record". Retrieved 2010-07-12. {{cite web}}: Text "College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com" ignored (help)
  14. ^ MLB Advanced Media, L.P. (2010). "Ralph Garr Stats, Bio, Photos, Highlights". Retrieved 2010-07-12. {{cite web}}: Text "MLB.com: Team" ignored (help)
  15. ^ NFL Enterprises LLC (2010). "Stan Humphries". Retrieved 2010-07-12.
  16. ^ University of Louisiana at Monroe (2010). "Cardia Jackson - ULM Warhawks Athletics". College Sports Direct. Retrieved 2010-07-12.
  17. ^ Dallas Cowboys (2010). "DallasCowboys.com - Official Site of the Dallas Cowboys". Retrieved 2010-07-12. {{cite web}}: Text "Bios" ignored (help); Text "Players" ignored (help)
  18. ^ NFL Enterprises LLC (2010). "Shawn King". Retrieved 2010-07-12.
  19. ^ NBA Media Ventures, LLC (2010). "NBA.com : Paul Millsap Bio Page". Turner Sports and Entertainment Digital Network. Retrieved 2010-07-12.
  20. ^ "Kansas City Chiefs: Rudy Niswanger". 2010. Retrieved 2010-07-12.
  21. ^ NFL Enterprises, LLC (2010). "Joe Profit". Retrieved 2010-07-12.
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